Over 150 people from Gobir community in Sokoto have been kidnapped by bandits in a fresh attack.
The attack took place last week.
With the people still mourning the Emir’s passage in the hands of bandits, reports said that the bandits again stormed the sleepy community in their numbers to wreak havoc.
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Speaking in an interview with Radio France International (RFI), Hausa Service monitored in Kaduna on Sunday, a University Lecturer, Professor Bello Bada blamed the disturbing activities of bandits in the area on what he described as “certain lapses from many quarters”.
He said it was such lapses that gave the bandits the effrontery to even threaten the abduction of immediate past President Muhammadu Buhari when he was in power.
According to him; ”This is not the first time a prominent monarch was attacked, but this is the first time a prominent monarch was murdered.”
The University Don, while describing the Emir of Gobir’s murder as a “humiliation to all Nigerians”, said now was the time for Nigerians to have a rethink on the nefarious acts of these bandits who had continued to kill people without restraint.
He said; ”The bandits had made a similar attempt on the life of the Emir of Potiskum while he was on the way to Zaria but he narrowly escaped. The Emir of Kauran Namoda escaped death by whiskers, but members of his entourage were killed by the bandits.
“In Zuru community, a monarch was slaughtered by these bandits, but after some few days, these heinous acts would be completely forgotten as if nothing ever happened, until the bandits strike again. “
Prof Bada said such acts should not be condoned and left to fester.
He claimed that ”where these bandits are coming from is well known to our security agencies, but appropriate action(s) is (are) not being taken against these criminal elements.”
Reacting to the latest developments, a security analyst, Dr Yahuza Getso said the security operatives who were complacent in allowing the bandits to kill the Emir of Gobir after spending over three weeks in captivity, should be sanctioned and not left off the hooks to serve as a deterrent to others who might want to toe the same path of negligence of their duties.
He said there was palpable tension in Gobir community after the royal Father was gruesomely murdered, noting that the bandits activities have caused deep division among the native Gobirawa, Hausa and Fulani people in the area.
Getso alleged that ”The leaders of these banditry gangs terrorising the Northwest region are well known, their places of origin are known, their parents and those who supply them with means of logistic are all known.
”We all have also agreed that security operatives have the expertise to face this problem head-on and bring it to an end.
However, he said; “It appears the political leaders are not giving them the support they need to overcome this menace”.
